Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yantai

For one person, living is cheaper in Yantai: $629 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Yantai
Learn more

Yantai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Yantai

🇨🇳 China

$629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Yantai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Yantai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $629 in Yantai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Yantai $629

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $926 in Yantai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Yantai $926

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,223 in Yantai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Yantai $1,223

Chiang Mai costs about 49% more than Yantai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Yantai are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Yantai 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.92 ¥19.55

-22.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$18.14 ¥121

5.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.58 ¥30.65

22.05%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.81 ¥18.78

-38.79%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.54 ¥3.58

18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.32 ¥2.15

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.05 ¥7.01

124.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.60 ¥17.39

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.96 ¥13.11

4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.35 ¥9.01

3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.83 ¥5.58

54.22%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.35 ¥9.02

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$16.32 ¥109

3.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.28 ¥21.94

-16.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$6.89 ¥46.04

35.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.37 ¥9.19

75.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.89 ¥5.98

13.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.07 ¥7.16

50.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.74 ¥4.92

105.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.67 ¥4.49

91.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.78 ¥5.24

42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.58 ¥3.91

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.63 ¥4.19

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.65 ¥24.39

18.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$11.68 ¥78.1

51.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.78 ¥5.25

108.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.03 ¥6.88

176.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.21 ¥1.40

304.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.36 ¥9.11

-13.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.29 ¥1.92

96.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$6.48 ¥43.30

-63.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.23 ¥8.20

17.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$19.3K ¥129.0K

6.12%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$16.4K ¥109.8K

61.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$62.3 ฿2,083

$44.64 ¥298

39.63%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.27 ฿410

$6.79 ¥45.37

80.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$6.09 ¥40.75

227.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$29.60 ¥198

28.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$7.43 ¥49.69

-49.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.44 ¥36.37

23.35%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$363 ¥2,426

119.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$16.6K ¥111.2K

-10.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$17.97 ¥120

196.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$22.78 ¥152

9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$93.7 ¥626

-2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$90.2 ¥603

-18.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$223 ¥1,490

108.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$151 ¥1,010

101.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$353 ¥2,358

159.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$147 ¥982

275.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$3,056 ¥20.4K

-37.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$5,096 ¥34.1K

-71.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,063 ¥7,107

-44.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.37

65.28%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Yantai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Yantai

$151 24% 50.4% $154

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Yantai

$191 30.3% 19.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Yantai

$101 16.1% 7.7% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Yantai

$58 9.1% 39.2% $37

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Yantai

$85 13.5% 7.2% $5.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Yantai

$3.6 * 0.6% 94.1% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Yantai

$40 6.4% 21.2% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $223 in Yantai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 79% higher in Yantai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $18.00 in Yantai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $191 – making Yantai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Yantai

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

22:15 10:15 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,871,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Yantai 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Yantai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chiang Mai vs Yantai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 49% more than Yantai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $944 in Yantai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yantai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $18.00 in Yantai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yantai, where all-in costs run around $629, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Yantai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yantai costs $629 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Yantai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.